Richmond Outside

Salamanders prepare for annual orgy

By Andy Thompson | February 11, 2013

Spotted salamander egg masses along Riverside Drive

The Friends of James River Park included a cool photo (at left) with their most recent e-newsletter. Those white blobs are egg masses of the spotted salamander. According to wikipedia.org:

During the majority of the year, Spotted Salamanders live in the shelter of leaves or burrows in deciduous forests. However, when the temperature rises and there is a higher moisture level, the salamanders make their abrupt migration towards their annual breeding pond. In just one night, hundreds to thousands of salamanders may make the trip to their ponds for mating. Mates usually breed in ponds when it’s raining in the spring.

Ralph White, former JRPS manager, once described the spectacle to the Virginian-Pilot: “We do the best we can for safe salamander sex,” he said. “Males wait for a real gully-washer. Then it’s like going down to Fort Lauderdale: Where are all the chicks? Where’s all the action? They go running down the hillsides and some move along the road, because they can go faster.”

These masses are in a vernal pool along Riverside Drive upstream from Pony Pasture Park. According to the Friends: “The pool, maintained by Park staff, will remain full for the mating and larval season and drained before mosquito season!”

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2013 Riverrock schedule released

By Andy Thompson | January 23, 2013

Credit: Sports Backers

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Exploring Chapel Island

By Andy Thompson | January 21, 2013

For my Sunday Times-Dispatch column, I wrote about a slice of overlooked, Richmond riverfront greenspace called Chapel Island. If you’re familiar with Great Shiplock Park, Chapel Island is what you’re standing on when you cross over the canal, walking toward the river.

Chapel Island, with the James River and Kanawha Canal on the right.

Both parks are either currently or will soon be sites of major renovation. Great Shiplock will become a destination trailhead for the Virginia Capital Trail, and Chapel Island will soon feature interpretive signs, a non-motorized boat launch and trails, including one connecting it to the 14th St. boater’s takeout. If you’ve never been down to the area, go take a look, then come back in three months. You won’t believe the changes that are about to take place.

NOTE: Volunteers are encouraged each Saturday from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m to come out at join Nathan Burrell and the city trail crew as they work on the trails and boat launch. Janurary’s focus will be on the boat put-in and corridor clearing.  February’s focus will be on trail building.

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RVA Environmental Film Festival less than a month away

By Andy Thompson | January 17, 2013

On February 9-10, the Enrichmond Foundation, Falls of the James Group – Sierra Club, Capital Region Land Conservancy, and the James River Green Building Council will join together to present the third annual RVA Environmental Film Festival at the Byrd Theatre in Richmond. The weekend-long event will showcase films designed to raise awareness of environmental issues.

Thanks to sponsors such as Bon Secours, Lewis Ginter Botanical Garden, Whole Foods Market, EarthCraft Virginia, REI, James River Association, Carytown Merchant’s Association, Nacho Mama’s, Watershed Architects, and the Falls of the James Group, this event is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.rvaenvironmentalfilmfestival.com. 

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